A BBC light entertainment series of 7 episodes in colour.
Hosted by Michael Aspel, this programme was a nationwide talent competition for British club entertainers. Performers from the cabaret circuit competed in several categories, including comedy, singing, and speciality acts, for the 1970 Stage Awards. The series aimed to give television exposure to working performers who had yet to achieve wider recognition.
The show provided a valuable platform for new talent, although the transition from club to television screen produced mixed results. The competition’s strongest category was comedy, where the performers’ material proved most effective. Conversely, the musical acts often highlighted the difference between the two mediums, as song choices and performance styles that worked for a live cabaret audience were frequently ill-suited to the more exacting nature of a television broadcast.
Broadcast: BBC, 1970
Presenter: Michael Aspel
Adjudicators: Albert Stevenson, Leslie MacDonnell, Bernard Delfont
